Kendrick Perkins’ much-mocked Raptors take is suddenly looking spot on

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Toronto Raptors are one of the hottest teams in the NBA right now.

After dropping four of their first five games, the Raptors have turned things around, putting together nine wins in their past 10 outings.

They have now moved to 10-5 on the year, riding a five-game winning streak that has put them second in the Eastern Conference.

Expectations were not high before tip-off this season. Not many even had them in a play-in spot. But while it is still early days, there was at least one analyst who thought they might have something going on. And so far, they are backing that up.

Why Kendrick Perkins predicted a top-6 finish for the Raptors in the Eastern Conference

In June, Kendrick Perkins took to X (formerly Twitter) to post a video directed at Bill Simmons.

The video served as a response to criticism Simmons had made regarding Perkins’ prediction for the Toronto Raptors’ season.

The former Boston Celtics center had stated that he expected Toronto to finish as a top-6 seed in the East for the 2025-26 season.

Simmons replied to Perkins’ video, saying: “If you actually think Toronto will be top-6 in the East in anything other than ‘most fun place to visit’ – let’s wager on it ASAP.”

Right now, it looks like Perkins was onto something. The Raptors have been playing like a team ready for a playoff run this year.

Raptors look to keep momentum going with favourable stretch

After a win over the Philadelphia 76ers, the team responsible for their only loss in the past 10 games, the Raptors return home for a four-game stint.

The schedule ahead is quite manageable and presents a good opportunity to improve on their current 10-5 record.

The Raptors will face the Washington Wizards, Brooklyn Nets, Cleveland Cavaliers (whom they have already beaten twice), and Indiana Pacers before hitting the road to play the Charlotte Hornets.

All those fixtures look winnable, giving Toronto a real chance to solidify their hold on second place in the East – or even push for the top spot currently held by Detroit Pistons.